Silent and Deadly: Navies Upgrade Submarine Electronic Warfare for the Modern Battlefield

Rajesh Uppal December 6, 2024 Electronics & EW, Navy Comments Off on Silent and Deadly: Navies Upgrade Submarine Electronic Warfare for the Modern Battlefield 1,185 Views

In the shadowy depths of the world’s oceans, submarines navigate unseen, serving as silent sentinels of naval power. These underwater vessels, vital to national security and maritime dominance, are undergoing significant technological transformations. The advent of new electronic warfare (EW) technologies is revolutionizing submarine capabilities, ensuring that navies can maintain strategic advantages in increasingly contested waters.

The Evolution of Submarine Warfare

Submarine warfare has evolved dramatically since the days of World War II. The modern submarine is a marvel of engineering, capable of remaining submerged for extended periods, moving stealthily across the globe, and delivering powerful offensive strikes. However, with the advancement of detection technologies, such as improved sonar systems and satellite surveillance, maintaining the stealth and effectiveness of submarines has become more challenging.

To counter these advancements, navies worldwide are investing heavily in electronic warfare systems designed specifically for submarines. These systems enhance a submarine’s ability to detect, deceive, and disrupt enemy forces, ensuring they can operate effectively in diverse and hostile environments.

Key Attributes of a Successful Mission

Much of our submarine mission time today is devoted to battlespace preparation. The key attributes of a successful mission include acquiring awareness of militarily significant events in the battlespace – the status of enemy forces, operations, facilities, weather, terrain, and the electromagnetic spectrum. Providing timely information required by the commander to make decisions and employ weapons and other systems precisely is crucial. For own-ship safety, surface attack, and early warning, submarines have traditionally relied on periscopes, radars, radio direction-finding loops, and radar-warning receivers.

Key Technologies driving Electronic Warfare Modernization

Electronic warfare (EW) is any action involving the use of the electromagnetic spectrum (EM spectrum) or directed energy to control the spectrum, attack an enemy, or impede enemy assaults. The purpose of electronic warfare is to deny the opponent the advantage of, and ensure friendly unimpeded access to, the EM spectrum. “To control the electromagnetic spectrum, you have to be able to put whatever your device is that controls that spectrum in the place where you need it,” declared Vice Adm. Mike Connor, commander of Atlantic submarine forces, in address to the Naval Submarine League. In the submarine force, he went on, “we have a remarkable ability to take the sensors that we have” — as well as “offensive” systems, he added — “and put them in the place they are most relevant, because we can get closer.”

Submarines because of their stealth and persistence are also more preferred for Signal intelligence missions (SIGINT) missions. As the threat of advanced air and coastal defense networks increases, especially with regards to the rapid spread of long-range and fast-flying surface-to-air and anti-ship cruise missiles, the innate intelligence collecting qualities of submarines are likely to become even more important. With an increasingly important role of submarines in today’s joint warfare, capable onboard Electronic Warfare (EW) sensors and systems that can intercept and process electromagnetic signals are vital. Further miniaturization has reduced the SWAP of SIGINT [Signals Intelligence] and electronic warfare payloads allowing them to carry much more effective and sensitive sensors.

Submarine EW modernization efforts have begun to improve submarine capabilities significantly and are being coordinated with other communities to maximize their utility through commonality. Advances in commercial electronic technologies have taken submarine EW systems from closed architecture, stove-piped hardware to an integrated, open, and scalable architecture. New antenna and radio-frequency technologies have increased signal intercept capabilities by offering greater coverage of the frequency spectrum at increased standoff ranges, resulting in a greater probability of mission success.

Advanced Sonar Systems:
- Active and Passive Sonar: Modern sonar systems combine both active and passive capabilities. Active sonar emits sound pulses and listens for echoes, while passive sonar listens for sounds produced by other vessels. This dual approach enhances detection capabilities while minimizing the risk of counter-detection.
- Synthetic Aperture Sonar (SAS): SAS provides high-resolution imaging, allowing submarines to map the seafloor and detect mines or other underwater hazards with greater precision.
Electronic Support Measures (ESM):
- Signal Intelligence (SIGINT): Submarines equipped with ESM can intercept and analyze electronic signals from enemy vessels, radar installations, and communication systems. This intelligence is crucial for understanding enemy movements and intentions.
- Radar Warning Receivers (RWR): These systems alert submarines to the presence of enemy radar, enabling them to take evasive actions or deploy countermeasures.
Cyber Warfare and Electronic Countermeasures (ECM):
- Jamming and Spoofing: Modern submarines can deploy ECM to jam enemy communications and radar or create false signals (spoofing) to confuse adversaries.
- Cybersecurity: Protecting the submarine’s own electronic systems from cyber threats is paramount. Advanced cybersecurity measures ensure that onboard systems remain secure from hacking attempts.
Communication Systems:
- Satellite Communication (SATCOM): Submarines now utilize advanced SATCOM systems for secure, long-range communication while submerged. This capability ensures continuous contact with command centers and other naval assets.
- Very Low Frequency (VLF) and Extremely Low Frequency (ELF): These communication methods allow submarines to receive messages at great depths, maintaining operational readiness even in the most challenging conditions.
Unmanned Underwater Vehicles (UUVs):
- Autonomous and Remotely Operated Vehicles: UUVs extend the reach and capabilities of submarines. They can perform reconnaissance, mine detection, and other tasks, reducing the risk to the submarine and its crew.

The future Submarine Force will soon enjoy a full range of above-water sensor capabilities. Reliable, real-time wireless connectivity between the forward-positioned submarine, the battle group, and off-board sensors will be a necessary enabler to extract the maximum advantage inherent in the submarine platform. Furthermore, the Rapid COTS Insertion approach will be crucial to the fleet for upgrading or reconfiguring its capabilities to provide the interoperability needed for the effective execution of joint missions. write Dr. Frank Chan, Carl Lindstrom, David Swanick, and Dr. Michael Visich.

There’s a danger here, Connor acknowledged. Submarines survive by hiding: They emit as little as possible, whether it’s sound waves or electromagnetic ones. They risk revealing their position every time they transmit reports to other units, let alone if they turn on a jammer. Whether that risk is worth it will be a crucial decision for the future submarine commander. But it’s not a binary either/or, on/off. How long you transmit, how strongly, where and when are all variables the commander can adjust to set the balance of gain and risk — part of what the Navy calls Electromagnetic Maneuver Warfare. Stealth technologies have also considerably reduced the radar signatures of current submarine masts and sensors, offering a significant reduction in vulnerability while operating at periscope depth.

Unmanned Vehicles for Electronic Warfare

Therefore, navies are developing submarines that can launch unmanned systems. These could be as simple as a communications buoy that rises to the surface, waits a set time, and transmits. They could be expendable drones, launched from a submarine’s missile tubes the same way as a Tomahawk. They could be complex mini-subs in themselves, known as large-diameter underwater unmanned vehicles (LDUUVs), that can launch from a manned sub to conduct a long-range mission. They could even be large payload modules that are towed behind a submarine until, at a strategic point, it releases them to settle to the sea floor and await the signal to unleash their payload of UUVs, drones, or missiles.

These robots enhance submarine survivability by keeping the expensive and precious manned submarine at a distance from danger by sending an unmanned surrogate instead. Even a large-diameter UUV or seafloor-lurking pod is a fraction the size of a sub, with no nuclear reactor or human beings onboard, so it’s much harder to find and hit. Even if it is destroyed, its loss is much more acceptable than that of a $2-plus billion sub with 132 souls aboard.

That makes unmanned vehicles the logical choice for electronic warfare. Jamming means transmitting in a way the enemy can pick up, so a jammer by definition reveals its presence (though it may be hard for the enemy to lock onto and shoot). A single jammer can launch multiple EW drones and have them wait a while, fly a ways, or both before they go active and blaze their presence across the enemy’s screens.

The downside to carrying UAVs and UUVs is they displace missiles and torpedoes, and submarines are always tight on space. But experts argue that carrying unmanned systems to spy on, jam, and hack enemy electronics is a better use of a sub’s limited payload than kinetic weapons.

“You’re better off using the submarine to deliver smaller electronic warfare payloads, [because] they’re smaller than the missiles, so you can carry them in larger numbers,” said Clark. That means the sub can keep doing the electronic/cyber warfare mission longer than it can keep up a kinetic bombardment. What’s more, he argued, even a submarine maxed out on missiles may not do much against a sophisticated foe. We can hit targets with Tomahawks at will in Third World countries, “[but] as defenses get better, three or four cruise missiles aren’t going to be enough,” he said, “[and] if I’m launching a dozen cruise missiles, that’s like the whole capacity of a Virginia-class submarine.”

The upgrade known as the Virginia Payload Module will more than triple the number of launch tubes on future Virginias. You could fit even more weapons on a towed payload module, external to the submarine, that could be deposited on the ocean floor and commanded by remote control, Martinage argued. But even with this extra capacity, he agrees that jammers and sensors will often be a better use of payload space than explosive warheads.

Real-World Applications and Strategic Impact

Benefits of EW Modernization

Enhanced Situational Awareness: Improved ELINT capabilities provide a clearer picture of the underwater battlespace, allowing for better tactical decision-making.
Disrupted Enemy Operations: Effective ECM can hinder enemy communication, navigation, and sensor operation, giving allied submarines a significant advantage.
Cybersecurity Fortification: Advanced countermeasures can help mitigate the risk of cyberattacks, protecting critical onboard systems and classified information.

The integration of these advanced EW technologies is not just theoretical; it is being applied in real-world scenarios to enhance naval operations. For instance:

Covert Operations: Submarines equipped with advanced EW systems can conduct covert surveillance and intelligence-gathering missions more effectively, providing critical data without revealing their presence.
Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW): By leveraging sophisticated sonar and ESM, submarines can detect and evade enemy ASW assets, maintaining their stealth and operational integrity.
Strategic Deterrence: The ability to remain undetected while carrying out strategic patrols and maintaining a credible deterrent force is a cornerstone of modern naval strategy. Enhanced EW capabilities ensure that submarines can fulfill this role.

The Russian Navy is enhancing its defense capabilities with the deployment of Burak-M electronic warfare buoys on its Borei-Class and Delta IV-Class SSBNs.

These buoys, once discharged to the water surface by a submarine, activate and function as jammers. They disrupt communication channels of acoustic buoys used by adversary aircraft and helicopters to detect submarines.

The Burak-M system will make a sea area nearly impenetrable by jamming or complicating all communication channels. It is designed for Borei-class SSBNs (Project 955) and Dolphin-class SSBNs (Project 667BDRM), as well as diesel-electric submarines, as reported by Izvestia.

Expert Igor Kurdin highlights the importance of such systems, especially against NATO’s upgraded antisubmarine aircraft, like the U.S. Orion. These aircraft drop buoys equipped with advanced detection tools to pinpoint submarines’ locations. By disrupting communication between these aircraft and their buoys, Burak-M allows Russian submarines to evade detection.

This system is crucial for covert operations of the SSBNs, which are central to Russia’s strategic nuclear forces. Additionally, Burak-M will be utilized by Lada-class diesel-electric submarines (Projects 636.3 and 677) for tasks including warship and submarine destruction, patrol, reconnaissance, and communication defense. These submarines are also armed with torpedoes and Kalibr cruise missiles, enhancing their combat capabilities.

Lockheed Martin AN/BLQ-10 EW System: Overview and Recent Developments

In 2019, the U.S. Navy awarded Lockheed Martin a contract worth approximately $20 million for engineering and technical services related to the AN/BLQ-10 Electronic Warfare (EW) System Technology Insertion (TI) for TI-20, TI-22, and TI-24. This contract encompasses the design, development, testing, integration, technology insertion/refreshment, and system support for both new-construction and in-service submarines.

Recent Developments

In Feb 2024 Lockheed Martin received a $43.4 million order from the Naval Sea Systems Command for the design, prototyping, and qualification testing of submarine electronic warfare equipment. This order modifies a potential $970.1 million 10-year contract announced in February 2019, increasing the total value to $111.7 million.

System Capabilities

The AN/BLQ-10 system processes signals from a submarine’s imaging mast or periscope when at periscope depth. It provides:

Threat Warning: To avoid counter-detection and collision.
Targeting Information: Identifies the number and location of targets for prosecution.
ISR Support: Conducts intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance to aid the fleet or battle group.

Submarine Classes

The AN/BLQ-10 is deployed on:

Virginia-class fast-attack submarines
Los Angeles-class fast-attack submarines
Seawolf-class fast-attack submarines
Ohio-class conventional guided-missile submarines
Future Columbia-class ballistic-missile submarines

Notably, it is not used on existing Ohio-class ballistic-missile submarines.

Key Features

Automatic Detection: The system automatically detects, classifies, localizes, and identifies potentially hostile radar and communication signals.
Modular and Cost-effective: Utilizes commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) and non-developmental item hardware and software.
Open Architecture: Supports current and future mission needs and technology upgrades.

Technology Insertions

The AN/BLQ-10 system undergoes regular technology insertions every two years, integrating the latest advancements. Notable upgrades include:

TI-08: Added a subsystem to intercept low-probability-of-intercept radar signals.
TI-10: Updated COTS processors and displays, and introduced the Improved Communications Acquisition and Direction Finding (ICADF) system.
TI-12: Implemented on advanced Los Angeles-class attack submarines (SSN 688I), featuring more powerful computer servers and standardized cybersecurity processes.
TI-14: Upgraded COTS processors and displays, and improved the system’s Electronic Warfare Server First Generation for better tactical situational awareness.
TI-20: Focuses on Virginia- and Columbia-class new construction and in-service Virginia-class modernization.
TI-22: Provides upgrades for in-service Los Angeles- and Seawolf-class attack submarines, and Ohio-class conventional missile submarines.
TI-24: Continues upgrades for Virginia- and Columbia-class new construction and in-service Virginia-class modernization.

The AN/BLQ-10 system’s ongoing enhancements ensure that it remains a vital component of the U.S. Navy’s electronic warfare and signals intelligence capabilities, providing critical situational awareness and threat detection for submarines.

Digital Early Warning Receiver (EWR) for Next Generation Submarine Electronic Warfare (EW)

As wideband electronic warfare (EW) systems become increasingly prevalent on the modern battlefield, system designers face the challenge of achieving higher performance while reducing size, weight, and power (SWaP) requirements for next-generation EW receivers. These systems require receivers with a wide operating band and maximal instantaneous bandwidth, posing significant design challenges.

Sonalysts’ Novel DEWR Concept

Sonalysts proposes the development of a novel Digital Early Warning Receiver (DEWR) concept, integrated within the digital architecture of the Next Generation Architecture (NGA) Submarine EW Suite. Key features include:

Modular Design: A modular video detection and digitization layer with narrow acceptance bandwidths spanning the entire electromagnetic spectrum, combined with high-speed analog-to-digital conversion.
Digital Processing: Digital video output is processed to meet legacy safety requirements and to enhance pulse characterization, feature extraction, and cueing for the AN/BLQ-10B narrow band receivers.
Advanced Algorithms: Raw digital data and Pulse Descriptor Words (PDWs) are transmitted over a high-speed network, supporting the integration of new capabilities via advanced algorithms.

Technological Advantages

The DEWR approach leverages advances in envelope detection technologies to provide several benefits:

Enhanced Sensitivity and Dynamic Range: Increased sensitivity and dynamic range, essential for reliable detection and processing of wideband signals.
Tunable Notch Filter: Mitigation of Continuous Wave (CW) interference using a tunable notch filter upstream of the detector.
Rugged Analog Front End: Retention of a highly reliable analog front end, ensuring robustness and dependability in critical applications.
Incremental Digital Capability: Fielding of digital capabilities in an incremental manner, allowing for gradual integration and enhancement of existing systems.
Future-Ready Design: Modular design concept supports future NGA system requirements, enabling the DEWR to feed digital data products to and from the system, reducing implementation risk and increasing the Navy’s return on investment.

Sonalysts’ DEWR concept aims to enhance the operational capabilities of the NGA Submarine EW Suite, ensuring that the U.S. Navy can maintain superior situational awareness and electronic warfare capabilities in the evolving digital battlefield.

Next Generation Electronic Warfare Human Machine Interface (HMI) for Submarines

The U.S. Navy has initiated the development of an advanced Human Machine Interface (HMI) system for the Submarine Electronic Warfare (EW) AN/BLQ-10B (V). The goal is to enhance operator efficiency and decision-making capabilities for submarine operators.

Purpose and Benefits of HMI

The new HMI system aims to:

Improve Interaction: Enable EW operators to interact intuitively with the Radio Frequency (RF) environment, reducing manual interaction and enhancing emission classification and correlation.
Enhance Situational Awareness: Provide accurate and timely information to control room decision-makers, improving overall situational awareness in increasingly complex and dense operational environments.

Key Features

The advanced HMI system will offer several key features:

Intuitive Interaction: Faster and more intuitive interaction with the system, allowing operators to quickly and accurately interpret the electromagnetic environment.
Improved Data Processing: Facilitate quicker data processing for decision-making and enhance operator mission performance.
Comprehensive Data Integration: Consume and display both organic (on-board sensor data) and inorganic (off-board sensor data) datasets. These can include processed data (e.g., sonar solutions, ESM emitter reports) and raw digital sets (e.g., Pulse Descriptor Words (PDWs), continuous digital intermediate frequency (CDIF), burst digital IF (BDIF), or In-phase/Quadrature (I/Q) data).
Versatile Displays: Offer displays ranging from near real-time (NRT) to real-time (RT) data, tailored to the needs of the operators.

Operational Advantages

Enhanced Reporting: Provide timely, relevant, and accurate reports to control room decision-makers, improving situational awareness.
Operational Performance: Focus on improving operational performance and effectiveness while reducing operator workload.
Innovative Displays: Introduce both traditional and innovative displays for operator interaction with data and system functions, providing comprehensive and intuitive controls and displays.
Modular and Extensible: Ensure the system is modular and easily extensible, allowing for future growth as the AN/BLQ-10 system adds or improves functionality and data sources.

The Navy seeks an innovative approach to HMI development, aiming for seamless integration with new applications and features to increase operator functionality without increasing operator/system interaction. This advanced HMI system will be a critical component in enhancing the operational efficiency and effectiveness of submarine EW operations.

Submarines are increasingly employed for signals intelligence (SIGINT) missions

Submarines are increasingly employed for signals intelligence (SIGINT) missions, with German firm PLATH leading advancements in this field. PLATH, known for its radio direction finding gear and communications intelligence (COMINT) and SIGINT equipment, has expanded its product line to include systems for submarines. Torsten Düsing, PLATH’s technical marketing and business case manager for naval solutions, highlighted the espionage capabilities of underwater vessels.

PLATH’s system, unveiled in November 2016, provides tactically relevant information with minimal mast exposure, listening for communication signals from anti-submarine warfare (ASW) aircraft. When not under ASW threat, the system collects, records, and direction-finds signals, aiding in operational intelligence and electronic counter-measures to help hide the submarine from enemy forces.

However, submarines face limitations as electronic eavesdroppers due to the restricted range of their periscope mast sensors. Despite these challenges, submariners have adapted to work around these constraints, though getting close enough to capture good signals remains difficult against an alert enemy.

PLATH’s system mitigates these limitations with its compact size and ability to use existing submarine antennas. Additionally, combining the system with underwater drones or sub-launched unmanned aerial vehicles can extend its range.

The complete system includes software for analyzing received signals, mapping out emitters such as radio transmitters and radars to enhance situational awareness and identify potential threats. This capability is valuable for strategic intelligence gathering, such as flight data telemetry from missile tests, and preparing for larger operations.

The focus is on urbanized littorals in crisis regions, harbors, shipping routes, and military areas. Establishing a line of sight to adversary tactical very high frequency (VHF) and ultra-high frequency (UHF) sources is crucial, and only submarines can get close enough to achieve this.

Challenges and the Future

While the modernization of submarine electronic warfare presents significant opportunities, it also poses challenges. The complexity of integrating new technologies, ensuring interoperability with existing systems, and maintaining cybersecurity are critical concerns.

Challenges and Considerations:

Integration: Seamlessly integrating new EW technologies with existing submarine systems can be a complex task.
Cost: Advanced EW capabilities often come at a premium, requiring careful budget allocation and cost-benefit analysis.
Manpower Training: New technologies necessitate training for submariners to effectively operate and maintain these advanced EW systems.

Furthermore, the ever-evolving nature of electronic threats means that continuous innovation and adaptation are required.

New Technologies for a New Era:

Artificial Intelligence (AI): AI algorithms can analyze vast amounts of electronic data in real-time, allowing for faster identification of threats and quicker decision-making.
Advanced Signal Processing: New signal processing techniques can help submarines distinguish between friendly and enemy signals, even in complex electronic environments.
Directed Energy Weapons: While still under development, directed energy weapons have the potential to disrupt enemy electronic systems without relying on traditional missiles or torpedoes.

Looking ahead, the future of submarine warfare will likely see even greater integration of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) to enhance decision-making, predictive maintenance, and autonomous operations. These advancements will further solidify the role of submarines as indispensable assets in the naval arsenals of the future.

Conclusion

The modernization of submarine electronic warfare through cutting-edge technologies is transforming how navies operate in the underwater domain. By enhancing detection, deception, and disruption capabilities, these advancements ensure that submarines can successfully navigate the complexities of modern maritime warfare. As navies continue to innovate and integrate these technologies, submarines will remain at the forefront of naval power, safeguarding national interests and maintaining stability in the world’s oceans.